Polls find dead heat in Marriage Amendment, edge for Voter ID support

Two new Minnesota Polls by the Star Tribune find a statistical dead head in the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, but a slight edge for support of a constitutional change that would require voters to show a government-issued photo ID.

Two new Star Tribune Minnesota Polls find a statistical dead head in the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, and a slight edge for support of a constitutional change that would require voters to show a government-issued photo ID.

In the Marriage Amendment poll, 49 percent favor the measure that would define marriage between one man and one woman, while 47 percent oppose it. Four percent are undecided. In order for the measure to pass, there must be 50 percent approval.

Results in the Voter ID poll show an edge for supporters of the measure at 52 percent, with 44 percent against and four percent undecided. The poll results also indicated a huge drop in support for the measure from a May 2011 poll, where 80 percent of those surveyed supported the measure.

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Meanwhile a Pioneer Press report reflects on the huge movement of Voter ID measures since the 2000 presidential election, where the Supreme Court intervened after flaws were revealed in Florida's voting system.

The report says more than 1,000 Voter ID measures have been introduced in 46 states since 2001. Since then 33 states have passed Voter ID laws and 30 more will be on ballots this November.

In a shocking upset, the voter ID amendment has failed, and by a sizable margin. With 98 percent of precincts reporting, the "no" votes led by nearly 8 percentage points, MPR says. The measure would have amended the state constitution to require voters to bring photo IDs to the polls.

Proposals for a constitutional amendment requiring photo IDs at polls are just a step away from reaching the House and Senate floors, MinnPost reports. Constitutional amendments, if approved by the Legislature, go straight to voters. They do not require Gov. Dayton's signature, so he cannot veto them.

The marriage and voter ID amendments need the support of a majority of Minnesotans who vote in November to become part of the state Constitution. The latest poll shows the marriage amendment supported by 49 percent of respondents, while 51 percent back the voter ID measure.

A new KSTP/SurveyUSA poll shows the battle between supporters and opponents of a ballot measure that would ban gay marriage could result in the closest statewide race on Election Day. The survey shows 48 percent support the amendment that would define marriage as between a man and woman, and 47 percent oppose it.

The battle over the marriage amendment may be the most expensive fight ever in Minnesota over a ballot initiative, the Star Tribune reports. Even actor Brad Pitt has donated money. Opponents of the measure raised more than $10 million, and supporters raised about $5 million. Supporters of the other ballot measure, a constitutional amendment that would require voters to bring a photo ID to the polls, raised about $1.5 million, and opponents raked in $2.6 million.

Estimates of how much it will cost to implement a voter ID requirement at Minnesota polling places range from a few million dollars to $100 million. The cost is among many details that state lawmakers will need to fill in if residents approve a Constitutional amendment requiring a government-issued ID to vote.

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie is changing the title of the constitutional amendment to “Changes to in-person & absentee voting & voter registration; provisional ballots." Sponsors of the measure, seeking to require voters to show a photo ID before casting a ballot, want the question titled "Photo Identification Required for Voting." Ritchie is being sued for changing the title on the marriage amendment question.